Plowing the Fields

We know the kingdom is full of sowers and harvesters, but many seldom consider the work of the plowers. In order for a seed to be planted the field must be plowed. Perhaps plowed many times before the soil is ready for the seed. Plowers bring encounters to people who are not even ready to consider anything spiritually or to those where following Jesus isn't even on their spiritual radar. The plower engages people where they are at in their lives. And seldom is the name Jesus mentioned during these encounters. For the harvesters this method of evangelism seems like complete insanity. How on earth can someone be led to Jesus without evening mentioning the name of Jesus? To some this may sound like a bit of heresy. Evangelism without using the name of Jesus ? Keep in mind just because the name of Jesus isn't mentioned in an encounter means the encounter is void of Jesus. To the contrary, field plowers must be able to feel the presence of Jesus and work with Him and the Father's will during an encounter. Plowers are mature followers who understand the Father in heaven is big enough to handle His own encounter with an individual.

Let me give you an example of one such case from the journals of Night Strike. This is a fresh story so it's fitting to use it here for this example. At Night Strike we minister to the homeless, the drug addicts and the prostitutes. We're in San Francisco so we minister to the transvestite prostitutes on the streets. My old street ministry route with Night Strike, before Bob Johnson handed the reigns of the ministry over to me, was with the transvestite prostitutes. When I assumed the leadership position, I had to fall back and do other roles, which left my route unattended.

In the years prior when I regularly worked my route, I would take pink roses and hand them out to the ladies we encountered on the streets. At first the ladies we encountered didn't want the time of day with me nor speak to me. So I just handed them a rose and gave them a prophetic encouraging word. I would get a smile or a scowl and that was it. One woman got on my spiritual radar that I was to travail for. In travailing it's a long stretch battle with outcome completely in God's hands. This was about 2 years prior to this incident. Every Friday encounter was the same, I would encounter this transvestite prostitute we'll call Kate. Kate would receive a rose and not say much to me. Went like this for over a year. I did manage to get out of Kate the fact that she would meditate and was Buddist. Aside from her name that's all the information I knew about her. In my heart I knew the Father had a deeper plan for Kate.

As my new duties increased with running Night Strike I was deeply burdened with the fact my old route was being neglected and all that plowing was going to waste. Finally, I decided to move one team of some incredibly dedicated people, consisting of two young women, Ellen and Jenn,and one young man, named Matt, over to this route. I purchased the roses, which felt good, the route would be revitalized and back in operation.

On Friday evening as I took the team to the location for ministry I coached them on just working with the prostitutes where they're at and just let things happen. I hadn't been back here in a while so it logical to assume we were starting at square one all over again.

When we reached our ministry destination I saw one prostitute standing in the dark shadows of a building. I sent Jenn and Ellen ahead with the roses to engage in conversation. Realistically, I gave them 15 seconds from start to finish and we would head on to find more prostitutes.

I stood guard watching the ladies from my team for over 30 seconds, as they spoke to this prostitute. Then it was a minute, and a minute became minutes. Soon it was about 10 minutes this conversation went on for. I decided to walk over and see what miraculous thing was going on with the two ladies from the team.

As I stepped in the conversation, with Ellen and Jenn, I immediately noticed it was Kate. I didn't recognize her at first she had changed her hair color. Kate was sharing with the ladies for the past 10 minutes that she was a now follower of Jesus and that she was going to school to get off the streets. Kate recognized me and told the girls on our team how much we were needed back out on the streets and that we were missed.

I needed someone to pinch me. It was not the response I had expected at all. Kate even looked me in the eyes when she spoke to me. She always avoided eye contact. I heard more words spoken from Kate on this evening then I ever had over the past couple of years combined!

As Kate was speaking to us, I handed out more roses to other prostitutes that walked by. We were being received by the other prostitutes. All the plowing had made the land fertile. All the plowing by my predecessors, Chanel, Elyssa, and Leah. They handed the route over to me when they moved out of the state. Now as I hand the route over to Ellen, Jenn, and Matt, I am excited to see the fruits of the labor of the plowers who tilled these streets. Something was happening and we were welcomed back.

It took plowers to come in and love these people before the sowers and harvesters were able to come in and lead these ladies to Jesus. The Father has no agenda but love for His kids. You want to win anyone over to Jesus? Just love them where they're at. And leave your obnoxious sin spouting bullhorn at home.